Pressure packaged tennis ball



J 1952 J. R. GAMMETER 2,582,982

PRESSURE PACKAGED TENNIS BALL Filed Nov. 5, 1946 4 INVENTOR. John R. Gammeter Patented Jan. 22, 1952 PATENT oF-FircE RBE SURE' BAQKAGE E I 'EB L John. R; Gammeter, Akron, Ohio, assignori to Bennsylvania Rubbe m any, an et e,.,1a-,

enum ra ion fi iep nia,

Alllllication November 5, 1946; SerialNo. 707,962".

11-: Ql im (C1. ans-+46) out oi use for a substantial period of timeaftermanufacture; thereof theinflatin-g fluid tendsto seep: ordiifuse outwardly throughthe ball casing, due to the same being-porous-to a certain exten-t; Various efio'rts have been made toovencome these difficulties, but suchefforts have notbeen completely satisfactory forvarious-reasons.

by utilization of certain known; characteristics of tennis balls in particular.

One object of thepresent invention'isto pro-- vide an improvedpackaged ball" of 'the charac ter described=,- which will not onlyretain its-g-iven size and shape until suchtimeas it is -tobeused, butwhichwill also retain g-iven supera-tmo's-- pherieinflation pressure-thereof; topreserve its reboundqualities-i Another object of the inventionis to provideimproved individually packaged tenn-is o like ball, including an" attractive protective-covering,

which materially enhances thesa-les appeal ot theball.

Anotherobj ect of the inventionis to provide;

an" improved protective jacket -for-tennis-=or like balls; including"means forreadily removing-thejacket -when itisdesired to use the ball";

Another obj ect' of 1 theinvention is to --provideimproved methods for producing packaged ten n-is or like balls; having the features describedin the-foregoing objects.

These and other objects of -the-invention will be -manifest from the following brief description and the-accompanyingdrawings.

Of; the accompanying drawings:

Figural isan-elevational view of a-tennis-ball, partly broken-awayv-and-in section, the same having thereon a protective jacket-in"accordance with one form of the invention.

Figure 21. is an enlarged fragmentary -cross-section, takenlsubstantially-onv the line 2--2 of Fig 11158.1:

Figure-3isian .-interior view 01" oneof .thehemi Il -formed at its free marginal edges, whereby; such'tabs may be twisted or pulled-'to tear the-- 2o, The-present invention overcomesthese;difiiculties 1 tion, asindicatedat 16.

ready removal of the jacket segments'from the spherical jacket segments of Figure l 1-, illustrating the: manner of providing a flapper valve therein.

Figure 4ais across-section; partlybroken away, taken on-thelined-d of Figure 6.

Figurefi is. a view similar to. Figure 1, also partly-broken away. and incross-section, illustrating another form of the invention.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentarycross-sec-l tion,- taken substantially'on the line 6-6 ofFigure 5.

Figure 7-is a viewsimilar to Figuresl and 5, illustrating another modified form of the invention.

Beferringparticularly to Figures 1 and 2; there is illustrated: a packaged tennis ball casing l0 embodying the" features of the invention, saidball' being of the usual type, including an innen spherical body ll ofvulcanized rubber and an outer cover 12 of felt adhered-thereto, said-felt cover-providinginterstitiai spaces in the outer surface portions of theball which will be utilized in-conformity with the present invention in a manner :tobedescribed later. A segmentaljacket l3; of'suitable inextensible, gas-impervious material, is provided: to preserve the ball against growth or expansion due to superatmosphericpressure of the inflation fiuid of the ball, which;

fluid maybe air or other gas atap-proximatelylillbs. per square inch.- The jacket maybe composed; of transparent or translucent plastic materialysuch as acetate, rubber hydrochloride film,

cellulose viscose, etc-. Although the jacket material may also be of -metalsuch as aluminum;

transparentplastic material is partially ad /an ta'geous; because it enhances-the sales appeal of the ball, while frangible material is desirable to facilitateready-removal of the jacket therefrom Jacket-13 maybe preformed, as by the use'ofcavity--molds-or othermeans, to provide hemispherical halves or segments M' -and l5; which:

halvesare proportioned to embrace the ball While at its normally inflated size-,--andto havemarginal edge portions inslightly overlapping relaballfior use of thesame, one segment l5- may have one or more; prefer-ably'two, integral tabs segment I5; sufilciently -to--p ermi t complete renioval of the jacket. v

The present invention contemplates an im; proved mode-of preventing seepage of the infiation pressure M from within the ball; outwardly To further facilitate through minute pores normally in the rubber casing thereof, which seepage will occur if the ball is not used until after considerable time has elapsed from the manufacture thereof. The improvement for this purpose includes application of superatmospheric pressure fluid, substantially equal to or perhaps even greater than the inflation pressure of the ball, within the interstitial spaces or space provided between the ball casing and jacket thereof. This may be accomplished in different ways. One method contemplated herein includes the steps of applying the jacket segments I4 and I5 to the ball while it is maintained in a pressure chamber at superat-- mospheric pressure, of compressed air, helium,

oxygen or other gas, and while retaining the segments embraced about the ball, applying a liquid solvent or a suitable adhesive between the connecting surfaces of the overlapping edge portions of the segments. If these operations are carried out completely within a room at such superatmospheric pressure, however, the gas used must be capable of being breathed by the operator. Thus, the segments may be adhesively joined at the lapped edges thereof to seal the restraining jacket against possible escape of pressure fluid from between the ball casing and its jacket after removal from the pressure chamber. Until the jacket is so removed, as previously described, the superatmospheric pressure in the interstices or space between the ball casing and the jacket prevents seepage of said inflation pressure outwardly through minute pores in the rubber body II, which seepage would cause the ball to become underinflated or lifeless, the inexpansible or inextensible jacket I3 at the same time preventing growth of the ball due to the superatmospheric inflation pressure, to a size which might exceed that called for by standard requirements.

For use with alternative methods for applying superatmospheric pressure fluid between the-ball casing and the restraining jacket, the segmentld, for example, may be provided with a flapper valve I8 comprising a relatively small patch of thin, flexible, gas-impervious material I8, such as natural rubber, the same being applied to the interior surface of the jacket segment, over a relatively small aperture I9 therein. Valve patch I8 may be adhesively attached to the casing over substantial areas thereof at opposite sides of aperture I9, to define a passage for communication with the exterior of the jacket with the interior thereof, the arrangementbeing such that superatmospheric fluid pressure applied to the inner surface of the flapper valve I8 will seal aperture l9. With this construction, the method of applying the jacket I3 to the ball may be sub-,

stantially varied. For instance, the jacket segments I4-and I5 may be applied to the ball by use of any suitable means, and adhered at the overlapping or otherwise joined portions thereof, indicated by the numeral I6, as by use of solvents or adhesives according to the material of the jacket, and these operations being carried out under normal atmospheric conditions. Balls thus provided with pressure restraining jackets may then be placed in a suitable chamber at required superatmospheric pressure (such as air or other suitable gas at approximately 18 lbs. per-square inch), the result being that the superatmospheric pressure fluid will enter the space between the ball and. the restraining jacket, through the valve aperture I9 and passage 20 of flapper valve I8. The balls'may then be removed from the influence of said superatmospheric' pressure, to normal atmospheric pressure conditions, whereby the superatmospheric pressure between the ball and the restraining jacket will apply requisite pressure to flapper valve IB to maintain a tight pressure-retaining seal over the aperture I9.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, hemispherical segments 2| and 22 are applied to a tennis ball 23 as by one of the methods previously described, the restraining jacket being of suitable inextensible pressurefiuid impervious material as before. The seg ments, however, are proportioned so that the complemental edges thereof may be adhesively joined in abutting relation as indicated at 24. With or without adhesion of the abutting edges, according to circumstances, a reinforcing strip or band 25 of substantial width may be applied around the abutting edge portions to provide a tight seal and to hold the segments together against internal pressure. For this purpose, the band 25 may be of material of the type having a tacky adhesive substance on the inner face thereof, to permit ready removal of the band when it is desired to remove the jacket for use of the ball. Such removal of the band 25 may be further facilitated by providing a tab 26, formed by overlapping theends of such tacky strip material and folding an extension of one end upon itself (see Figure 6). The band 25 may also be of material which is adhered by use of compatible solvents, or it may be of material such as rubber hydrochloride sheeting shrunk onto the ball jacket by use of heat, or otherwise heatsealed onto the jacket, according to the material thereof used. The method of applying the protective jacket so as to provide equalizing superatmospheric pressure between the ball cover 23 and the jacket may otherwise be as previously described.

Referring particularly to Figure 7, there is illustrated another type of packaged tennis ball involving the use of jacket segments 28 and-29, formed with integral outwardly extending annular flanges 30 and 3|, respectively, and adhered in complemental registry, as shown, when the segments are applied to embrace the ball in sealing relation. The materials utilized for the segments, the adhesives for the same, and the method of applying the segments to retain superatmospheric pressure between the ball and the jacket thereof may be substantially as previously described.

With reference to the various forms of the invention, when molded thermo-plastic synthetic resin materials are used for the jacket segments; adhesion of the connecting portions thereof may be accomplished by application of compatib7e solvents or acidsof known types. Examples of such synthetic resins are celluloid, cellulose ni-. trate, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, ethyl cellulose, vinyl, and acrylic plastics. For adhesion purposes, the cellulose compounds are softened or made slightly soluble in the presence of alcohols such as acetone, and although the vinyls resist alcohol, they are soluble in ketones and esters. Such solvents are readily applied at overlapping or abutment edge portions of the jacket segments, as by touching around the edge portions thereof with a' brush which has been dipped in the solvent.

Thus has been provided improved individually packaged tennis balls and methods for producing same, by which the resulting product may be preserved in requisite condition for use without deterioration, distortion or lossv of rebound propensities, *for substantially long periods of time. Although the invention has been described in various forms With particular reference to packaging a single tennis ball, it has been found in actual practice that tennis balls may be similarly packaged in multiples, such as twos or threes, with highly satisfactory results.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A packaged product of the character described, comprising a tennis ball including an inner elastic casing inflated by superatmospheric pressure to normal playing size and an outer cover of felt, and a pressure-restraining jacket substantially firmly embracing said ball, interstitial spaces of said cover between said casing and said jacket containing pressure-fluid at superatmospheric pressure approximating said inflation pressure of the casing, said jacket having a pressure-fluid receiving aperture therein and a check valve in association with the aperture to seal the same against escape of pressure-fluid, said valve including a piece of thin flexible material having 3:

6 portions thereof at opposite sides of said aperture adhered to the inner surface of said jacket, the area between said adhered portions of said valve piece providing a passage for pressure-fluid from the exterior to the interior of the jacket through said aperture.

JOHN R. GAMMETER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS 

